Sen. Andrew Chesney

Creates the Essential Support Person Act. Provides that a resident or the resident's representative may designate a primary essential support person and a secondary essential support person who may visit the resident despite general visitation restrictions imposed on other visitors, provided that the primary essential support person or secondary essential support person complies with any rules adopted by the Department of Public Health to protect the health, safety, and well-being of residents. Tasks the Department with establishing a statewide policy for visitation with a resident. Requires the Office of State Long Term Care Ombudsman to perform specified duties. Contains other provisions. Effective immediately.

Creates the Protection of Dogs and Cats from Unnecessary Testing Act. Prohibits a testing facility from conducting a canine or feline toxicological experiment in the State, except for certain specified purposes. Provides that the prohibition does not apply to testing or experimentation conducted for the purpose of developing, manufacturing, or marketing any product intended for beneficial use in dogs or cats. Provides that the Attorney General or a State's Attorney in the county in which a violation occurred may bring an action in the name of the People of the State to enforce the provisions of the Act. Contains a severability provision. Effective immediately.

Amends the State Budget Law of the Civil Administrative Code of Illinois. Provides that, beginning in fiscal year 2025, the Governor shall consult with the Budgeting for Results Commission (rather than the appropriation committees of the General Assembly) to (i) identify statewide result areas (rather than prioritize outcomes) that are most important for each State agency of the executive branch under the jurisdiction of the Governor to achieve for the next fiscal year and (ii) identify outcome areas, which further define the statewide result areas, into which State programs and associated spending can be categorized (rather than set goals to accomplish those outcomes according to the priority of the outcome). Makes changes to the yearly commission that the Governor establishes (naming the commission the Budgeting for Results Commission) and makes other changes in how the Commission operates. Replaces instances of "statewide goals" with "statewide result and outcome areas". Makes other changes.

Creates the Tickborne Disease Prevention and Protection Act. Presents legislative findings. Requires the Department of Public Health, in conjunction with the medical entomology lab of the Prairie Research Institute's Illinois Natural History Survey and a statewide association representing physicians, to develop protocols and best practices for identifying, diagnosing, and treating tickborne diseases in Illinois and a mandatory accredited continuing medical education course that describes those protocols and best practices. Provides that the Department shall require health care professionals and laboratories to report cases of tickborne disease to each other and the Department. Directs the Department to train local health departments to respond to tickborne disease-related inquiries. Requires the Department to prepare a report of all efforts undertaken by the Department under the Act.

Amends the Nurse Practice Act. Ratifies and approves the Nurse Licensure Compact, which allows for the issuance of multistate licenses that allow nurses to practice in their home state and other compact states. Provides that the Compact does not supersede existing State labor laws. Provides that the State may not share with or disclose to the Interstate Commission of Nurse Licensure Compact Administrators or any other state any of the contents of a nationwide criminal history records check conducted for the purpose of multistate licensure under the Nurse Licensure Compact.

Amends the Criminal Identification Act. Provides that a trafficking victim may petition for vacation and expungement of an offense (rather than shall be eligible to petition for immediate sealing) upon the completion of his or her last sentence if his or her participation in the underlying offense was proximately caused by the human trafficking (rather than a direct result of human trafficking). Provides that, if the offense is a crime of violence, the trafficking victim may petition for immediate sealing of the offense upon the completion of his or her last sentence. Provides that a petition may be prepared, signed, and filed electronically. Provides that the court may allow the petitioner to attend any required hearing remotely by audiovisual conference if the petition affirms that attendance in court would be an undue hardship or could create a risk of harm to the petitioner, and provides that the court may allow a petition to be filed under seal if the public filing of the petition would constitute a risk of harm to the petitioner.

Creates the Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act. Requires a public institution of higher education to adopt a policy that makes certain documentation submitted by an enrolled or admitted student sufficient to establish that the student is an individual with a disability. Requires the policy to be transparent and explicit regarding information about the process by which the public institution of higher education determines eligibility for accommodations for an individual with a disability. Provides that each public institution of higher education shall disseminate such information to students, parents, and faculty in accessible formats and make the information readily available on a public website of the institution. Allows a public institution of higher education to establish less burdensome criteria to establish whether an enrolled or admitted student is an individual with a disability. Requires a public institution of higher education to engage in an interactive process to establish a reasonable accommodation for an individual pursuant to the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the federal Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Amends the Native American Employment Plan Act. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning the short title.

Amends the Illinois Pension Code. Makes a technical change in a Section concerning definitions.

Amends the Homeless Family Placement Act. In a provision listing certain factors a referring agency must consider prior to referring a homeless family with school age children to a shelter, requires the referring agency to also consider the military status of any member of the family to determine the family's eligibility for State or federal benefits and other supportive services for homeless veterans and their families, including, but not limited to, housing or rental assistance, job training, and employment opportunities.